Roan Mountain State Park

Today's journey was to Roan Mountain State Park. I've driven through the park several times on my way to Carver's Gap but this is the first time I stopped to explore. I decided on a couple of short trails instead of a long hike because I had a limited amount of time today. I arrived at the park around 11:30 am after getting a later start than I intended, and I went without Tucker because he had a tummy-ache and needed some rest. Since I had never hiked in the park before, I decided to start by going to the Visitor's Center.

The visitor's center was open, and it has a nice, clean bathroom - always good to know! From there, you can access the two trails I took today. The first was the Peg Leg Mine Trail. The Peg Leg Mine is an old iron ore mine that was active around the turn of the twentieth century. Ore was mined there and smelted at a site on the other side of the highway, then carried away by train. The trail is well kept and an easy walk of less than half a mile. The entry to the mine itself is a bit creepy - a  hole in the earth blocked by thick log posts that look like broken, crooked teeth in a gaping mouth.

Entrance to the Peg Leg Mine - the sign says "Danger - Keep Away"

After enjoying this short trail, I decided to walk the Cloudland Nature Trail, which is to the right of the Visitor's Center. This trail is one mile long, and the first half of it was an easy - though narrow - walk. I was a bit disappointed because it followed the road, and though it was screened by trees, I could still hear traffic. But the trail itself was nice and the sound of the water was soothing. I had lunch on a rock in the river:

Nice place for a picnic!

After a drink of water and a granola bar, I thought about my scripture for the day. I had chosen Psalm 100 from the lectionary reading for this Sunday, and thought about how the psalmist exhorts all the earth to shout to the Lord with joy. The sound of the water seemed to echo God's praises. And after thinking for a while, I remembered that the psalm also says we were made by God and that we are God's people, and I thought about how we are created in God's image - made to be like God. What could be better than that?

After lunch, I walked for a few more moments, and then the trail turned away from the river and became suddenly much more challenging. It was still well marked but more difficult to follow as it climbed straight up the side of the mountain. The traffic noises faded as I climbed. Blue blazes marked the trees and the trail twisted and turned. There were a few spots where it was not apparent which way the trail went - it took me a few minutes to see the blazes and know where I was going. Eventually, the path descended back toward the Visitor's Center. There were several spots where I would have been glad to have those hiking poles I mentioned in my last post!

All in all, it was a great day. After the last half-mile of the Cloudland Trail, I felt pleasantly tired and it was time for me to head home. Next time, I think I'll cross the road and take the Forest Trail to Chestnut Ridge. Roan Mountain State Park has a lot of treasures yet to discover.